U.S. envoys are meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss President Donald Trump’s proposed peace plan for Gaza. The talks come after U.S. representatives Jared Kushner and Nickolay Mladenov held discussions in Cairo today with mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey. According to diplomatic circles, some of these meetings included representatives from the radical Islamist terrorist organization Hamas. Kushner, who is married to Trump’s daughter Ivanka, also met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Netanyahu had previously rejected Trump’s latest proposal for a peace solution, calling it unacceptable. A senior Israeli government official stated that Israel is particularly concerned about Washington’s demand to stop targeted killings of Hamas members. Trump’s plan calls for an immediate end to military operations in the Gaza Strip, with Hamas disarming while Israeli troops withdraw and the area is rebuilt under a new Palestinian civilian administration. Trump declared last month that there was a breakthrough in his plan, which both sides had agreed to. Hamas stated it had accepted the plan to prevent further war, but implementation depends on Israel fulfilling its commitments. Despite diplomatic efforts, Israel has continued its air strikes in the Gaza Strip. Medical sources reported that several people were injured in attacks in Khan Younis and the Nuseirat refugee camp today. For Trump, this would be a “major milestone” for his largely stalled peace plan for the Gaza Strip. Hamas, which holds control over the remnants of the heavily destroyed coastal strip, recently agreed to hand over its weapons to a new transitional Palestinian government in the Gaza Strip. This would mark the first significant progress for Trump’s peace plan since he announced it last year, bypassing the United Nations and other international organizations. However, in Jerusalem, the government remains skeptical of Hamas’s commitments. Netanyahu’s government continues to reject the peace plan and insists there will never be a Palestinian state, whether in the Gaza Strip or the West Bank. Netanyahu argues that complete disarmament of Hamas must occur before Israel withdraws its troops from the Gaza Strip. Currently, Israeli forces occupy two-thirds of the territory. Hundreds of thousands have been displaced due to the war and continue living in makeshift refugee camps in the non-occupied parts of the Gaza Strip, enduring deplorable conditions. There is chronic shortages of water, food, and housing capable of withstanding the upcoming autumn and winter rains. As the U.S. special envoy, Kushner is again traveling through the region and maintaining direct contact with Hamas. On Sunday, he spoke with leading Hamas figures in Egypt about Trump’s peace plan. Kushner continues to exclude Hamas participation in future Gaza governance, despite new Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya reaffirming their commitment to the peace plan. Meanwhile, Muslim-majority states condemned Israel’s rejection of the Gaza peace plan. In a joint statement, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey criticized Israel’s stance. In response to the diplomatic push, right-wing Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir escalated tensions with comments that caused outrage in the Arab world. In a podcast, he called for even more violence in the Gaza Strip, stating that there are people there who are not even human and should be eliminated through targeted killings. He suggested killing 30 to 40 people each night, not just Hamas fighters posing an immediate threat but anyone deemed unworthy of life. Ben-Gvir claimed the entire Gaza Strip belongs to Israel and argued that Palestinians should either leave voluntarily or be removed through force. The Jewish community in Austria criticized Ben-Gvir’s remarks, calling them a disgrace. The president of the Israelite Cultural Community (IKG) for the regions of Salzburg, Styria, and Carinthia described him as a shame for the entire Jewish people and a disgrace for the State of Israel. He urged the Israeli government to take visible consequences and remove Ben-Gvir from office. The statements highlight the minister's contemptible attitude and political danger. Iranian Vice Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi condemned the remarks on social media, stating that such a Zionist criminal speaks simultaneously about the displacement of Palestinians and settlement building throughout the Gaza Strip. He emphasized that these confessions must be recorded and preserved for the day of reckoning and for the trial against these criminals. These statements came amid new mediation talks led by Kushner in the region. On Sunday, he held discussions in Egypt with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and representatives of the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas regarding the future of the Gaza Strip. Today, he is scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, along with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and the High Representative of the Peace Council, Nikolay Mladenov. Netanyahu reiterated last week that Israel rejects the so-called “Peace Board” roadmap for the heavily damaged Gaza Strip. He stated that the Israeli army will not withdraw until Hamas is disarmed. Additionally, he reaffirmed his opposition to an independent Palestinian state. A high-ranking Hamas representative, Bassem Naim, stated that Hamas remains committed to the Gaza roadmap. According to a senior Israeli government official, Israel is particularly concerned about Washington’s demand to cease targeted killings of Hamas members. Trump’s plan calls for an immediate end to military operations in the Gaza Strip. Although a ceasefire has been in effect since October, more than 1,200 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since then.
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